EDUC 121-Child and Adolescent Development

MyVirtualChild Report
Name_Micaela Johnson

Date_11/15/14

MyVirtualChild-Middle Childhood (Age 6-11)-Report 3

General guidelines: Answer to the questions below for your report. Describe the childs
behavior and provide 1 or 2 supporting examples. In addition, wherever possible, you should
relate your descriptions and explanations of the childs behavior to the concepts, theories and
research covered in class or in the book. Try to base your arguments on research studies and
conclusions, or a theory that seems well supported by the research in the field. The questions are
below with scoring criteria following the questions.
1. Based on the evidence from age 6 and 8 years, how well is your child adapting to the
school social environment and to the peer group? To what extent does this adaptation seem
to depend on personality characteristics that are fairly stable in your child, and to what
extent does your child seem to be developing novel behavior to cope with these new
situations? Refer to the textbook for particular points about the responses of children in
this age group to the peer group and the school environment. (2 points)
Mason seems to be adapting well to his school environment and his peer group. Although
he is always nervous and anxious before he starts a new grade in school, once he gets there he is
very happy and he is no longer scared. Mason doesnt like the idea of change and new situations,
but one of his personality traits is his ability to adapt to changes. He doesnt have to change his
behavior to cope with new situations.
Masons peer group hasnt changed much from age 6 to 8. He has had the same group of
friends for the most part, and they participate in many of the same activities, including Scouts.
Mason does make a few new friends each year, and he sometimes takes an interest in the
activities that they are involved in. He has the strongest bond with the friends that live in the
same neighborhood as us. He can spend time with them almost every day, and he is comfortable
in their home. Mason has always been a friendly child, and he is happiest when he is spending
time with other people.
2. How smart is your child, and in what areas? Refer to the summary of multiple
intelligences that appeared at age 6 and to sections of your textbook and the course reader
article on multiple intelligences. Find specific evidence regarding your child's verbal,
logical mathematical, spatial, musical and bodily-kinesthetic intelligence from your
observations of your own child as well as the psychologist's report at age 8 years, 11 months
and explain how it ties in to the your course reading material. (2 points)

When Mason was 8 years and 11 months old, he was tested by a psychologist. He scored
in the average to above average range in word reading, reading fluency, phonological awareness,
and spelling. On the verbal portion of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children(where 7 is
one standard deviation below the mean, 10 is the mean, and 13 is one standard deviation above
the mean, Mason scored a 9 for Information, a 10 for Vocabulary, a 10 for Similarities, and an 11
for Comprehension. His scores on math concepts, math application problems, and math
computation tests were below average. His scores were consistent with a learning disability, but
further testing would have to be done to confirm this.
Mason's bodily-kinesthetic intelligence seems to be growing. He enjoys activities that
promote movement, and he likes being outdoors. He also performed a hip-hop dance for his
school's talent show.
Mason's logical-mathematical intelligence seems to be lacking. Math homework is a
struggle for him, and we often get in conflicts about him completing his math assignments at
night.
Mason's spatial intelligence seems to be about average for his age. He enjoys building and
constructing things, and is beginning to take an interest in art.
Mason's verbal intelligence is average for his age. He enjoys reading out loud and to
himself, and he is beginning to read other kinds of reading materials such as, magazines and
certain newspaper articles. His grammar and language development are strong for his age.
Masons musical skills are not very strong. He hasnt shown much interest in music yet,
and he doesnt spend a lot of time in musical settings.
In closing, I think that Mason is smart in the areas of language arts, social studies, and
science. However, his math knowledge does need to expand, and he needs to spend some time
improving his understanding of math concepts. According to Kail, the author of our textbook,
Mason will learn the best when his teachers and parents gear his learning and education toward
his strong suits. Since Mason is good at reading and being verbal, and he enjoys science
tremendously, his learning should be geared towards these areas of study. If more of these
subjects were tied into math, he may be more interested in learning the math concepts.
3. Describe some examples of your child's behavior or thinking that you think are due to
typical American gender role socialization and explain why you think so, referring to the
text and lectures regarding gender roles and sex differences in behavior. Several examples
can be found in the Virtual Child program at ages 6 and 8. How closely does your attitude
toward gender roles correspond to typical American attitudes, and if there is a discrepancy,
to what do you attribute this (e.g., cultural background, attitudes of your own parents,
etc.)? (2 points)
At age 6, Mason was playing with mostly other boys. He didn't spend a large amount of
time interacting with girls that were his age. He also went through a stage where he wanted to be
just like his dad, and he tried to participate in many activities that he viewed as being "male
activities". Both parents encouraged Mason to participate in both traditionally feminine and
masculine activities. At this age, it is normal for children to recognize standard gender
stereotypes.
At age 8, Mason seems to be more open to the idea of being around girls. He spends time
playing with his sister, although he tries to force her to play with his toys, because he doesn't
think that boys should play with dolls. At this age, children still believe that boys should play

with certain toys, and girls should play with certain toys. They still would rather spend time with
other people of their gender, than people of the opposite sex.
My attitude towards gender roles isn't typical of the average American person's attitude. I
believe that men and women can participate in all of the same activities if they spend enough
time becoming familiar with how to do these activities. I grew up in a household where both
parents prepared family meals, both parents spent time maintaining the inside and outside of the
home, and both parents did laundry and baked desserts. I don't believe that there are specific
activities reserved for a specific gender.
4. Describe changes in your childs academic skills between ages 6 and 10 and assess how
well these skills are developing. If your child has any problems that affect school work,
such as dyslexia, ADHD, or low levels of verbal, mathematical/scientific or spatial ability.
Describe these problems and explain what you and the teachers are doing about them. The
5th grade report card will be useful for this but you should also incorporate your own
observations. If your child doesnt have any academic difficulties, describe what you are
doing any way to help your child do well in math/science and literacy (reading, writing and
communicating). (4 points)
Between ages 6 and 10, Mason's academic skills have improved, especially in math. At
age 6, his first grade report card said that he demonstrated strength in reading and writing, he
was developmentally appropriate in the areas of social studies, science, spatial understanding,
and visual arts, but he required additional support in the areas of mathematical problem solving
and the understanding of data and number concepts. Due to Masons low math ability, his teacher
did spend extra time with him, and the focus of his studies at home were shifted to math.
His fifth grade report card stated that he demonstrates strength in all areas of reading and
in spelling, and he is appropriate for grade level in writing. He is appropriate for grade level in
the areas of social studies and science. He also became appropriate for grade level in the areas of
mathematical problem solving, understanding of data, number concepts, graphical applications,
and arithmetic computation.
Between the ages of 6 and 10, Mason has shown strength in reading aloud and to himself.
He learned a lot about science during his time in Scouts. I spent a lot of time working with
Mason to improve his math skills. I assisted him with homework, purchased computer programs
that allowed him to practice math concepts, and his teacher helped him. I also continued to spend
time reading with Mason. Every night before bed, Mason and I read a book together and
eventually, Mason wanted to read a book on his own in the evening. Also, when a topic seems to
catch Mason's interest, I follow it up with books or trips to a location that relates to this topic. I
also read the same books as Mason so I can converse with him about what is happening in the
books that he is reading.
5. How well is your child adapting to social situations in the home and outside the home?
Does your child have any behavior or emotional problems that have become apparent
between 6 and 10 years of age? (some possibilities include internalizing and externalizing
problems, ADHD, and obesity). Why do you think these problems are occurring and what
are you doing about them? (2 points)

When Mason was 8 years old, my partner and I separated. We officially got back together
when was 10. When we separated, Mason became very nervous and unsure of himself, and he
became more dependent on my partner and I. Mason had a solid group of friends that he spent
time with, and he also learned how to play with his sister more frequently. When my partner and
I got back together, Mason mentioned to us that he sometimes blamed himself for our separation.
He became less cheerful and argued a lot more with my partner and I. However, he didn't have
any problems with his peers at school, and he continued to do well at school.
Sometimes, Mason gets into fights with his sister. These fights involve physical and
verbal disputes, but the fights began to happen less frequently after I put them both in separate
rooms after the fight occurred and only let them play with each other if they agreed to play
calmly.
I believe that Mason has had some minor behavior and emotional problems because of the
brief separation of his parents. It was a drastic change for him and he didn't exactly understand
what was happening. He didn't have a stable life and that caused some stress in his life. But now
that we are back together, his behavior seems to be improving because of the family talks and
conversations that we have with him on a daily basis.
6. Has your parenting changed since the preschool period and if so, why do you think it has
changed and what effect might this have on your child? Refer to your textbook or lecture
notes for evidence on typical changes in parenting that occur in middle childhood. (2
points)
Since the preschool period, I think that I have become a more relaxed parent. While I am
still warm and affectionate towards my children, I do not get as stressed and worked up when
something doesn't go right. I have remained an authoritative parent throughout Mason's life. I use
a fair degree of parental control, but I am also warm and responsive towards my children (Kail,
2012, p. 438.) As Mason grows older, I become more comfortable and confident in my parenting
skills and I learn what methods of parenting work for me and which ones don't. Because of my
warmth and love for my children, Mason knows that he can come to me for help and advice.
7. Has your childs personality type changed since age 4? Are there any personality traits
and abilities on which your child closely resembles you? Describe two of them. Do you
think this comes about because of a genetic resemblance (i.e., your questionnaire
responses) or some consistent practices youve followed in your parenting? For example, if
you and your child are both highly open to experience, and you took every available
opportunity to explore new things with your child, is it possible youve taught your child to
be open to experience? (4 points)
I do not think that Masons personality type has changed since age 4. He is still fairly
social, and he enjoys being around other people. He still gets worked up over small situations,
but he calms down easily once someone talks him through the problem.
Mason does have several personality traits that closely resemble me. I also become
stressed and upset over the smallest of things, and I dont usually calm down until someone talks
to me about how minor the situation is, and how I will be able to handle it. Mason is really good
at adapting to new situations, and I am also pretty good at adapting. While I dont like the idea of
life changes, if they do occur, I dont usually have a problem adapting to a new environment or

situation. Mason gets nervous before he enters a new grade of school, but once he gets there and
is around his friends, he has no problem adjusting.
I think that these traits came about because of my questionnaire responses and the
consistent parenting practices that I have followed. I have not changed my parenting style too
much throughout Masons life, and I think that he benefits from that. He has a constant routine
and a relatively stable environment, and I feel that that has reinforced the personality traits that
he obtained through genetics.
8. In what ways have factors from Microsystems outside the family, from the mesosystem,
and the exosystem possibly influenced your childs development at ages 6, 8 and 10? Find
four examples of such influences and make clear why you believe they should be
categorized at the particular level you chose within Bronfenbrenners model. For example,
you could choose two microsystems (e.g., classroom and peer group), one mesosystem
(parent-peer relations or parent teacher relations) and one exosystem (something affecting
the parent directly but the child only indirectly, through the parent. (4 points)
Masons microsystem of the classroom has been influential in his development. His
classroom belongs in the microsystem because it consists of people and objects that are in his
immediate environment (Kail, 2013, p. 436.) I believe that his teachers and the schools that he
has attended have affected his life in mostly positive ways. He has had several excellent teachers,
but in fifth grade, his teacher left on maternity leave, and the student teacher took over. When
this occurred, Mason began to struggle more in school, because the student teacher wasnt aware
that he needed extra help in math. The classroom is a place that has affected his confidence and
his educational growth.
Masons microsystem of his peers has also been influential in his development. His peer
group belongs in the microsystem because they are people that are in his immediate
environment. Mason has had many friends from ages 6 through 10, but for the most part, his peer
group has remained the same. He spends a large amount of time with his friends that live in our
neighborhood, and he also occasionally goes to friends houses outside of the neighborhood.
Almost every weekend, Mason spends time with his friends at their house, or at our house. His
friends affect what he is interested in, and how he acts, so it is a good thing that he has really
great friends who are good influences on him.
Masons mesosystem of parent-peer relations has been an important part of his
development. The separation of my partner and I that happened when Mason was 8, affected him
in a great way. He lost a lot of confidence and became more dependent on both of his parents.
We got back together when Mason was 10, and Mason struggled with this concept somewhat. He
mentioned that it was his fault that we separated, and he argued with us for several weeks. He
seemed to leave his home problems at home though, because he didnt have any problems with
his friends, and he continued to do well in school.
Masons exosystem of his parents jobs has affected his development. We both work full
time so Mason has to understand that we have work responsibilities that we must fulfill after we
leave our workplace. The fact that we are both dedicated to our jobs and often bring our work
home has forced Mason to learn to entertain himself at times. However, we always make time for
our family and Mason knows that whenever he needs help, we will be there to help him.